Not so clever

Back home to Sissi and more snow

Remember how clever I was getting direct return flights from Vienna to Washington?

It turned out to be not so clever.

On the way out the flight was delayed for two hours because of industrial action.  Austrian Airlines and its staff have been kicking and biting and scratching each other for some time now and there is no sign of this going away.

Perhaps its is those all-red uniforms they have to wear. I think they are ghastly – I mean who wants to wear red stockings? I would put up quite a struggle to escape from that – but they apparently have great brand recognition.

Anyway – this turned out to be not so bad as it meant that – because Cate was also delayed – we arrived in Washington almost  simultaneously.

Coming home was not so good. This time my flight was cancelled so instead of flying home direct on Austrian I was routed on a United flight to Brussels and then – after a three hour wait – on an Austrian flight to Vienna.

But is interesting to see how people are coping with all this palaver these days.

In the early days of endless delays - endless security lines and endless immigration lines people used to get quite tetchy. Nowadays there is a general acceptance of the fate of the traveler – it is called learned resignation.

You understand that the only thing a display of petulance is going to get you is a discussion with the police – potentially followed by a period of incarceration. Have you ever seen anyone in recent times be rude to an Immigration or Security person?

So endless lines of people shuffle along - staring sightlessly at the people and bags in front of them – knowing that this is the punishment for wanting to leave your own fair shores and expand your horizons.

They don't even pretend

Austrian Airlines at least pretends that they are pleased to see you and have you fly with them.

US Airlines adopts no such pretense. They are not pleased to see you and they do not want you to fly with them.

Indeed – because you are in fact flying with them they intend to punish you as much as possible to ensure that you do not do it again.

They start this process at the check in counter. Remember these? They were the places where you gave smiling people your bags and they gave you a ticket in return.

These days you do your own check in – at self service counters. This is not always easy and the people behind you sigh and fidget if you make any mistakes.

Then you are charged $25 just for the bare faced effrontery of checking in a  bag at all. I remember when you paid for a ticket and your bag went for free. Not any more.

Austrian Airlines will give you a coke and a snack at no charge. US Airlines will sell you a coke and a bag of chips for $7.

And we you finally escape the aircraft the Austrian Airlines crew stand at the door and smile and say Auf Wiedersehen.

US Airlines staff  go about their business and do not even fart in your general direction. They don’t want you to have a nice day – they just want you to go away.

I couldn’t get Cate interested in the Super Bowl although we did go down to the High Velocity  bar just before kickoff to have a chicken wrap. So I watched the game while she worked.

People here get very excited about football and of course Indianapolis has its very own football, baseball and basketball teams so there is always someone to cheer.

We have had quite a bit of snow and on the weekend it was colder than we have been since we were in Scandinavia in winter.

I was prepared for this and brought my big coat and woolly pants but Cate – despite her baggage being 5 pounds overweight – has not got much winter gear. I am not sure why because before we left I gave her printouts of the weather forecasts for both Washington and Indianapolis.

But this is often the case when we travel. Cate stuffs her bag full of clothes but wherever we go she is often seen staring mournfully into the closet and muttering that she has nothing to wear.

But – here we are back in Washington. I go back to Vienna tomorrow. Mrs. Moneypenny says that the cats are fine. I am looking forward to seeing them. 

I am doing my best to fit in

The President was here

In Washington I spent my time out and about immersing myself in American culture  and watching the passing parade - which in Washington is mainly black and – I regret to say – seriously overweight.

I thought I was a little bit overweight until I got here – but compared to the average Washingtonian I am positively skeletal. Even Jazzmine – who was only 19 – was well on the way to being colossal.

But who would be surprised - with the type of food they have and the stupendous quantities they serve.  

I have decided that it is time for me to go onto a serious diet because the whole thing scares me.

We missed the inauguration but I got a photo of the covered stand where the President sat.

Indianapolis is just as scary in terms of the size of the meals and the size of the people - but I am getting used to it now.

We spent the weekend exploring Indianapolis and found that it does indeed have some lovely inner city areas and neighborhoods although most of the population commutes from places such as Carmel – which in 2012 was voted the best place to live in America.

No – not Indianapolis – America!

Cate is working now and I have been laid low by a bug which I picked up in Washington so I am just hanging about the room and the hotel.

Fortunately the hotel has its very own Starbucks and any time I want a bucket of Cappuccino I just have to go down the 2^nd floor. The smallest size I can buy would fill my Cappuccino needs for a week.

But I am trying to adapt – even though most people here cannot understand a word I say.